Good Enough
by amburnikole
Summary: It started with some bloody knuckles...and may end with some bloody knuckles too. It was an anomaly and House was curious...Hameron fic
1. Bust Your Windows

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my own plot ideas. All the characters, etc belong to FOX and their creators.

As a side note, I tend to write when listening to music so I am usually inspired through what I am listening. Hence, most of the chapter titles unless I note otherwise will be the title of the song I was listening to when writing the chapter.

Chapter 1- Bust Your Windows

Dr. Allison Cameron walked into PPTH fuming, two hours late, nearly colliding with a nurse.

"Sorry Dr.."

"No no…it was my fault." She rambled as she walked passed the clinic.

"Well Dr. Cameron, how nice to see you so frazzled this morning."

She stopped and sighed.

"Shut it House."

"Everything ok?"

"Like you care."

He inhaled sharply for dramatic effect.

"I'm hurt that you think I'm not capable of.."

"Just peachy" she deadpanned, cutting him off before walking off towards the ER.

Before she was too far out of hearing range he yelled.

"What happened to your hand?"

She looked down at her gauze wrapped knuckles.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Broke a couple windows." She said nonchalantly before heading off.

House stood there puzzling for a few moments.

_Broke a couple windows? With her fist? Ouch. That's what crowbars and baseball bats are for…hmm must have been something terrible enough to lose rationality. Interesting._

"Hey. You alright? You've been staring off into space for a while now."

"Hmm? Oh yeah just thinking about Cameron."

"Cameron? I thought you were onto Cuddy now?"

"That's not what I meant. She just came barreling through here with busted up knuckles. She said she broke a couple windows. What person breaks windows with their fist? Unless…"

"House….leave her alone. Maybe it was an accident.."

"One window, maybe. A couple? Don't think so."  
"I don't think it's worth losing sleep over."

"It's an anomaly. And we all know how much I love those Wilson."

"Ah yes well. Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate for you to spend time worrying about Cameron when you are supposed to be focusing on Cuddy?"  
"Um…no, considering there is no me and Cuddy. We kissed, bad idea. She thinks we'd be good, I'm not so sure."  
"House.."

"Look..I may care about her as a friend, but she's really more like a sister to me than anything else. I mean…why are we even discussing this? Oh I remember because you want Cuddy for yourself. That's right. You've been asking me for weeks now what's been up with us, well it's nothing. So you can sweep right in Casanova. I'm gonna go figure out a new puzzle."

Wilson sighed as he walked away.

"Oh and Wilson, you're buying me lunch today."

He stopped and looked at him incredulously.

"When do I not?  
"When I don't eat lunch with you." He said with a grin.

"Sorry I'm late."

"What did you do to your hand?"

"Accident. Was trying to put my window back on its track and my hand went right through it."

"Ooh, that had to hurt. Need me to stitch it up for you?"  
"That would be great. Thanks Rose."

"No problem."

While the nurse went to work stitching her knuckles, Cameron replayed the events from that morning in her head.

"Cameron, are you gonna tell what really happened to your hand?"

" I told you Rose…"  
"Right, that's why the blood is fresh and there is a piece of glass with a number on it in your hand. Looks tinted."  
She sighed heavily.

"Ok so it was a couple car windows."

"Is this still about that fight you and Chase had two nights ago?"

"You could say that…" she said softly, trying to blink back the tears.

"Oh…Al, what happened?  
She took in a deep breath to steady herself.

"The night of the fight he said he went to a friend's house to stay the night. He didn't come back to my apartment. Last night he said he needed time to think and was staying at his place. This morning I got up early to go over there and talk to him. I felt like I couldn't even remember what we had been fighting over, you know? I drove there before work, let myself in with my key, and walked in to find him passed out naked with some girl. So in my anger I broke out his driver side windows…"

"I'm sorry girl. I know that wasn't easy to see. Probably should have found some kind of object to throw at the windows instead of your fist, but I can understand how you felt."

"Yeah. Thanks for the stitches Rose."

"No problem. And if you need to talk or anything…"  
"Thanks." She said before walking off into the midst of the ER patients.


	2. That's Life

DISCLAIMER: See Chapter 1….

Last chapter was named after jazmin's Bust Your Windows…This one is named for Frank Sinatra's song That's Life.

Chapter 2- That's Life

It was close to 4 pm and House was listening to music, waiting for test results. He had meant to get to Cameron earlier, but his team ended up with a patient. He was currently hiding out in the locker room, away from the world and Cuddy. The girl's locker room to be precise, in a shower stall letting Frank Sinatra blast from his speakers.

He checked his watch again and smirked when he saw her come through the door in an angry huff. She walked around the row of lockers to her own.

He paused the music.

"Rough day?" he asked.

"House?" she called out from her locker.

"No it's God…"  
She came back from around the lockers and smiled.

"Ah yes God would need to hide out in a locker room, much less a girls locker room, so he wouldn't have to face his responsibilities.."

"Well I do have to check in on my creations now and again…"

"Right. Look I need to take a shower. Guy vomited spontaneously all over me. I washed the best I could in the bathroom but I can still smell it."

"Well, vomiting usually is spontaneous, unless of course he is a bulimic and just binged on a box of Krispy Kremes and wanted the self-loathing to stop."

She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Hey, Don't mind me….I'm just listening to old blue eyes and relaxing."

He un-paused the music and sat back, closing his eyes.

She sighed but walked to the stall farthest from his and turned the water on. She laid down her toiletries on the bench and drew the curtain behind herself.

Over the music she asked him, " What's with the little boy's bleeding? Have you gotten closer to a diagnosis?"

He yelled back, "ran some more tests after the MRI. Results should be back anytime now. Foreman, of course, somehow thinks it's Lupus."

She chuckled.

"Yeah, have you asked the family about any hemophilia in their family history? "

"Of course. No dice."

A few minutes later a towel-clad Cameron in her bathroom flip flops emerged from the stall.

"Feel better?" House mused, turning off the music again and rising from the floor.

"Much. You really shouldn't sit in the stall. Bad for your leg and covered in bacteria."

"Somehow I think I shall survive." He spoke, moving closer to her and grabbing her injured hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

She took it from his grasp quickly, turning to go toward her locker.

"I told you…"

He grabbed her arm to stop her.

"What really happened to it?"

She turned her face to look at him.

"I broke some windows…"

"Either you are a closet boxer, or you had enough adrenaline and endorphins in your system to be able to let you come away with just some bloody knuckles and not a shattered hand. Obviously you were either very upset or very turned on…which was it?"

She yanked her arm away from him roughly.

"It's none of your business…let it go ok?"  
"Can't. It doesn't fit."

"I am no longer your puzzle to solve. My misery is my own business."

"Misery! Ha, then you were upset. Damn and I was hoping you had broke them in the throes of passion." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She fought a smirk as his pager beeped.

"If only…now I need to get dressed and you have lab results waiting."

"We aren't done talking you know. I'm gonna get to the bottom of what's going on.."

"Goodbye House." She spoke while waving in a dismissing manner.

"Hey, you mind putting my player and the speakers back in my office for me? Thanks Cameron.."he spoke on his way out, not letting her answer.

She looked at herself in the mirror inside her locker and sighed.

He wasn't going to give up, she knew that. Then again, what did she have to be ashamed of? She wasn't the one caught cheating, Chase was! Was she really that sad? Of course it hurt and it would hurt for a while. But, as Frankie had said, that's life. You can't always get what you want right?

It shouldn't be this easy to just let it go, should it?

She finished getting dressed and checked her phone to see the latest missed call from Chase. She had called him at lunch to break it off and he had been trying to get back in touch with her since. It was the tenth missed call from him.

She sighed heavily as she picked up House's music stuff. As she set off for his office, it registered that he had seen her in just a towel.

The guilty pang she expected didn't come and she entered his glass menagerie.

Puzzled she sat at House's desk after reconnecting his music up.

By instinct she began reaching for his pile of mail and began to sort through it as she contemplated.

She wasn't at it for long before a voice broke through her thoughts.

"How did I know that I would find you here?"

She looked up sharply to find Chase staring back at her from the doorway.


	3. Irreplaceable

DISCLAIMER: See Chapter 1

This chapter is named for Irreplaceable by Beyonce…

It's a little short, but Ill make up for that next time…The bunny was running circles in my head so I had to let it out. :-)

Chapter 3- Irreplaceable

"Um, hi…"

"What are you doing here? I've been trying to get a hold of you all day!"

She put down the letter she was reading and sighed.

"I'm helping House with his mail, what does it look like? And I know you've been trying to get a hold of me. I have the missed calls to prove it."

"Well?"

"Well what? What do you want exactly?" she spoke, standing and clenching.

"What do I want? I want us to talk about this like adults!"

"Right, that's why you're the one shouting as if I'm not right in front of you. There is nothing to talk about."

"You can't just call me out of the blue and break it off without any reason!"

She chuckled dryly.

_No reason huh?_ She thought.

Chase walked over to her and grabbed her arm, loosing it from her vice of protection.

He saw the bandage on her hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

She smirked.

"Oh nothing, just broke a couple windows this morning…"

He looked puzzled for a moment before realization lit up his features.

"Ally, it was…"

"Reason enough." She jerked her arm from his grip.

"Look Robert, I've thought about this and I'm not changing my mind. If we were really serious about what we had, no fight would be able to push you into another woman's arms." She spoke harshly before turning her back to him.

She continued more softly.

"And it wouldn't be this easy to let you go."

"Ally.."

"Just leave." She told him over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

She nodded before turning her gaze back out the windows into the world.

She tried to fight the tears but they fell silently anyway.

She sat down into the chair again and stared at a spot ahead of her, lost in thought.

About 15 minutes later, she could hear the familiar gait of House coming back towards his office. She hastily wiped at her eyes but wasn't fast enough for him to not catch her actions.

He slowed his walk.

"If sorting my mail is emotionally distressing you don't have to do it you know."

She smiled weakly and stood, smoothing out invisible wrinkles from her clothes.

He was uncomfortable. He usually didn't do well with crying women. Then again he was usually the cause of the crying. He was sure it had something to do with her misery as she had put it. He wrestled with himself for a moment before deciding.

"Pizza." He spoke walking to get his jacket, bag, and helmet.

"What?" she asked questioningly, cocking her head to the side.

"Pizza. I assume you do eat it? Unless you're one of those women who only eats forms of grass to keep your girly figure?"

She laughed softly at that.

"No, I do eat it. Canadian bacon and pineapple."

He threw the helmet at her.

"Then let's go."

She caught it in surprise, but didn't argue.

She grabbed her bag and hurried to catch up to him.

When they got to the bike he clipped his cane in place.

"It's too bad though, " he spoke while getting on the bike.

"What is?" She pulled on the helmet and climbed on behind him.

"The towel/wet look was totally you." He said with a smirk before starting the bike.

She fought a blush and wrapped her arms around his middle as they took off.


	4. The Show

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Chapter 4- The Show

A BIG thanks to all the reviewers!!! I love that you guys like it so far. Feel free to leave suggestions if you like as well.

The Show

By Lenka

I'm just a little bit caught in the middle  
Life is a maze, and love is a riddle  
I don't know where to go  
Can't do it alone  
I've tried, but I don't know why

Slow it down, make it stop  
Or else my heart is going to pop  
'Cause its to much, yeah its a lot  
To be something I'm not

I'm a fool, out of love  
'Cause I just can't get enough

I'm just a little bit caught in the middle  
Life is a maze, and love is a riddle  
I don't know where to go  
Can't do it alone  
I've tried, but I don't know why

I'm just a little girl lost in the moment  
I'm so scared but I don't show it  
I can't figure it out  
It's bringing me down  
I know, I've got to let it go

And just enjoy the show

The sun is hot in the sky  
Just like a giant spot light  
The people follow the signs  
And synchronize in time

It's a joke, nobody knows  
they've got a ticket to the  
show.

Yeah, I'm just a little bit caught in the middle  
Life is a maze, and love is a riddle  
I don't know where to go  
Can't do it alone  
I've tried, but I don't know why

I'm just a little girl lost in the moment  
I'm so scared but I don't show it  
I can't figure it out  
It's bringing me down  
I know, I've got to let it go

And just enjoy the show

Just enjoy the show  
I'm just a little bit caught in the middle  
Life is a maze, and love is a riddle  
I don't know where to go  
Can't do it alone  
I've tried, but I don't know why

I'm just a little girl lost in the moment  
I'm so scared but I don't show it  
I can't figure it out  
It's bringing me down  
I know, I've got to let it go

And just enjoy the show

Just enjoy the show

dum de dum, da dum de dum

and just enjoy the show

da dum de dum, da dum de dum

and just enjoy the show

I want my money back (3x)

Just enjoy the show

I want my money back(x3)

Just enjoy the show

The next morning had Cameron puzzled. He had been almost pleasant to her. Was a little awkward at first, but after a couple beers and a few slices, they kept conversation to recent cases and he had blissfully not asked further about her distress. When he dropped her off at her apartment she had smiled at him and he even smiled back. Their goodnight was short and she went into her apartment in disbelief.

Thus was the current state of affairs for her as well, trying to pour over patients' charts at her desk, sucking down a frozen coffee. She eyed the matching drink sitting on her desk, debating whether she really wanted to go to his office and give it to him. She didn't know what to make of him sometimes, and instantly groaned at the warm twinge she felt in her stomach at his smile.

This was NOT what she needed right now.

House would always be House. She would probably always love him for it too.

She sighed heavily and grabbed the coffee before getting up and walking towards the Lion's den.

House sat at his desk, bouncing his ball against the wall in thought with his right hand while conducting the orchestra blaring through his speakers with his left.

He had been nice to her. Not overly nice, but not overly caustic either. He hadn't really known how to behave and picked a middle ground. Something told him she didn't need his razor edge sarcasm last night, and he surprisingly found himself not wanting to give it. With her it was always puzzling. She wasn't like normal women. It unnerved him that he willingly went out of his way to not be himself to make her feel better.

"Well Good morning maestro." Said the object of his thoughts through his doorway.

She practically pranced to his desk to place the coffee upon it.

She quirked her head a moment to listen.

"Rachmaninoff?"

He nodded before pausing it. He picked up the coffee and sipped.

She bit her lip nervously.

"Listen um..I just wanted to say thanks for last night. I appreciated the company, and the obvious attempt at niceness…" she said with a smile.

"Momentary loss of rationality on my part, don't expect any repeats."

She smiled wider.

"I also wanted to say.." she took in a deep breath.

"I broke Chase's driver side windows."

He almost choked on his coffee.

He coughed a bit before replying, "you broke the Wombat's windows?"

She nodded.

"Well that was unexpected."

"Yup caught him sleeping with someone else and I just let it out on his car."

"Next time use a bat and break them all, maybe even the headlights." He said smirking.

"Well, there won't be a next time because I broke up with him yesterday too."

She sat in the chair by his desk and picked his ball up from where he had laid it down.

"He left just before you came in yesterday."

"Ah so the waterworks weren't about doing my mail."

"Nope, afraid not."

"Well, and here I was going to exempt you from ever doing it again. Ha, here you go." He tossed some letters at her.

"Hey!"

"is for horses. Listen um, Wilson and I are going to have lunch together today.."

"When do you not?"she asked playfully.

He gave her a look before continuing.

"You should eat with us..we could scheme to get the little Wombat."

"Right like 10 year olds??

"no….like bored, love to screw with other people…people."

She rolled her eyes.

"I can't. I'm having lunch with my friend Rose today. But we will raincheck this revenge session for another time. Have a good day House." She then got up and strolled out of the office.

He watched her leave for a moment before walking out to go to Wilson's office.


	5. Dark Diamond

Ok I'm sorry for the big delay…I had surgery so I have been a bit out of it. Then I had vacation in Lake Tahoe. But, I will try to be a LOT better at updating. Thanks again to all the reviewers!!! This one is short again, but I wanted to get something out there for you!!

Good Enough Ch 5: Dark Diamond

Song by Elton John

Disclaimer: See Ch 1

Cameron was having no luck. She'd been thrown up on six times, some of which was bloody. A man had tried to strangle her during a hallucination, and she had ripped open a couple stitches in her hand trying to restrain another patient. All in all, a crappy week. The only bright side was the occasional House sightings, which she minded less and less. She had even sat in on a differential yesterday and found herself feeling very nostalgic and missed the days of chasing after a diagnosis instead of chasing after drunken patients.

Currently she was chatting with Wilson in the clinic between patients.

"Anything new and exciting?"

"Not really. Saw that new Will Smith movie yesterday. Oh, hold on a sec."

He answered his ringing phone.

"Hey Stacey! Yea we're still on. No I haven't told him. You know he'd never agree if he knew. Yeah ok. See you in about 30 minutes then."

He closed the phone and looked up.

She looked fierce.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh um, Stacey is meeting me for lunch."

"Right..does House know?"

"Nope. He would never eat lunch with her if he knew."

"What are you trying to do, get him to punch you out?"

"No. I'm just trying to get him to realize that he loves her. She's left Mark and looking for a new start. I told her I would be a buffer. Lord knows why I get myself into these things, but he was happy with her once…"

"Yeah, hey listen I've got to go. I forgot that I have a meeting to go over the department's budget with the ER nurses. I'll see you later ok?" she faked a stressed look and glanced at her watch.

"No problem. I'll see you later."

She smiled at walked out as fast as possible.

When she reached his office she was out of breath.

"House.."

He looked up to see her bent over with her hands on her thighs, trying to control her breathing.

"Did you run a marathon before you got here?"

"Nope, just from the clinic and up the stairs."

"Ok, is there something important you need to discuss then?"

She nodded after giving him a look that said, 'Duh', before sitting down in one of his chairs.

"Let's go out to lunch today, just me and you. My treat since you bought me pizza the other day."

"I'm eating with Wilson today."

"I know, he told me. But you know you always eat with Wilson. Plus, I can guarantee it will be worth your trouble."

"Really, now how could you do that?"

"Information. I have it and you don't."

"What kind of information?"

"I guess you have to come to lunch to find out." She said with a smirk.

"Chinese?"

"If that is what you want, yes."

He smiled.

"Alright, let me just tell Jimmy and we'll be off."

"Um..lets not tell Wilson. Wouldn't want him getting any ideas. He'll be trying to marry us off tomorrow if he knew we were going out together again."

"Right." He feigned a hurt look.

"Not that marrying you is a horrific idea or anything..I mean.." she spoke in a rush, horrified that he might think she disliked the idea.

She then saw his smirk.

"Oh you bastard. Let's go before I change my mind." She said with a huff.

He chuckled as he followed behind her.

"Yes mommy."


	6. I Want Love

Good Enough Ch 6: I Want Love

They sat in the restaurant, their Chinese leftovers boxed on the table. House broke their silence first.

"So I believe you said you had some information for me?"

Cameron sighed. She really should have thought more about this before jumping into it. How was she going to explain this?

"Yeah, about that. Um…you see.."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Ok, I didn't want to you going to lunch with Wilson."

"But baby I told you that one time was just an experiment. We won't do it again." He said with a puppy dog face.

She rolled her eyes, avoiding the gazes of the couple in the booth next to them.

His stare went right through her and she resigned herself.

"He was setting you up and I couldn't let that happen."

"Setting me up? So nice of you both to care, but I told him that Cuddy and I were not-"

"It was Stacey." she spoke hurridly, cutting him off.

He looked at her, opening his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again.

She took in a deep breath.

"I was talking to him when he got a phone call from her confirming their lunch date today. I confronted him about it and he said that she left Mark and was hoping to get back with you. She asked Wilson to be a buffer for the two of you."

There was a flash of contained fury in his eyes before he looked down at his hands.

He was studying his fingernails intently when Cameron reached over and covered his hand with hers.

"I'm sure he was thinking that he was being helpful like usual. I don't think he meant it to hurt you."

He stared at her hand atop his and she removed it quickly, realizing her action.

"I just thought you deserved more warning than the split second you would get as she would walk up to your table. I know that it's not my place and I probably don't know everything about what happened between you two, but I know enough to know that she hurt you. I thought you deserved more of a say in what they were planning. I'm sorry if that makes me the meddler now but..."

He cut her off this time.

"Well it does you little meddler. It's not surprising that the bleeding heart of PPTH would try to save a friend from a fate worse than death." He spoke softly without the needed emphasis to make it serious, looking back in her eyes again.

She smiled softly at his feigned sarcasm.

He sighed loudly, rubbing his hand over his face.

"The last time she was here she was going to leave Mark for me."

Cameron looked surprised at his admission.

"But she left, and you loved her..."

"I told her to stay with Mark. He could give her what I couldn't."

Somewhere in the back of her heart, she felt a twinge of what could be jealousy. She looked away from his piercing blue gaze nervously.

"Well Mark is out of the picture so you can make your move now, on your terms." she spoke, putting on a smile.

He studied his tea glass for a few moments before speaking.

"Wilson and I need to have a little chat." He got up and grabbed his to-go box and his cane.

"Don't be too hard on him." She replied, grabbing her leftovers and her purse.

"Oh good ol' Jimmy knows by now what to get himself into and what to keep himself out of."

The ride back to the hospital was quiet; the only sound was the radio playing softly in the background.

Cameron felt her stomach forming knots.

She thought she was over this..this thing she had for House. She had packed up that part of her life and put it away with all her other past loves. But she couldn't help herself when she heard of Wilson's plan with Stacey. She had felt a rush of protectiveness for him wash over her and couldn't stop her impulse to shield him from his past heartbreaker. To find that House could have had her back when she worked for the hospital but turned her down was shocking. But now that there was no other man, would House go to her? His fake sarcasm provided no clue as to an answer. She felt the definite pang of jealousy now and knew she didn't want him to make his way back to her. But, she had no right to say anything to him of the sort. Heck, he probably wouldn't even take her seriously. He would think she was making him her rebound from Chase. This was going to be a mess.

House was thinking along the same lines but for other reasons.

He would always love Stacey, but realized a long time ago that he was no longer in love with her. She was most definitely boxed up and packed away in a far recess of his mind now. The fact that Wilson didn't even discuss this with him irked him more than anything. He knew that Wilson just wanted him happy, but was definitely glad for his bleeding heart's intervention. He glanced at her briefly before looking back out the window at the passing scenery. He would tell Stacey that they would never work; there was no doubt of that. It wouldn't be his finest moment: She would probably cry and he would hug her and start to feel awkward. But it had to be done. Somewhere in the back of his heart he felt a warm something at the thought of Cameron's protectiveness. It almost reminded him of days when he could remember feeling cared about by her every day. He may never have made it known, but if nothing else he loved the feeling of having someone care about him without agenda or expectation. He remembered what he said to Amber's hallucination on the bus. He _was_ tired of being miserable. Going back to Stacey would be good for a while, but they would both end up miserable all over again. It was just their nature. He wanted to love. He glanced at Cameron once more, trying to picture her hair as it used to be. He didn't find it odd that he would do so, and found that he really did miss her. Not that he would tell her that. She'd get that smug look on her face and say I told you so. He felt that warm something again as they pulled into the parking lot and she smiled over at him.

He wanted to try to keep that feeling around, he decided. Whatever that feeling was.

They walked back inside the hospital together and both stopped when they saw the two figures conversing at the front desk.

Cameron looked at him awkwardly.

"Well, I should probably get back to the ER. You don't need me for this. Be nice to Wilson, and well just be happy with her ok?" she spoke quickly before trying to rush off.

He stopped her with his cane.

"Just wait." He spoke softly, looking her in the eye. His eyes seemed to plead with her.

She nodded absently.

"Ah Wilson, just the man I needed to see. We need to talk later about your indiscretions." He spoke a little harshly, leaning onto his cane heavily.

Wilson looked over at Cameron and back at House.

"House, I"

"But I got free Chinese out of it all so I suppose the idea did have its merit." He exclaimed while looking over at Cameron.

Wilson looked ready to speak again but Stacey beat him to it.

"Greg, lets just go to your office and talk…"

"Nope, no need. Plus, Cam here and I have some things to do so I will make this short. I will always love you, but I am not in love with you. I still can't be what you need. I'm sorry that Mark wasn't either. We will never work no matter how hard we try. End of story."

"But Greg maybe in private we could discuss-"

"This is the one and only time we will have this conversation. You weren't adult enough to come to me directly so I am not going to treat you like one. I'm not changing my mind. I hope you have a marvelous weekend, now I have lives to save. But you are welcome to stand here like juvenile lobby art with Wilson all you like. My superior lobby art is graduating to a private collection in my office. Excuse us."

"Wilson." Cameron acknowledged him before following House to the elevator.

As the doors closed on them she felt that warm feeling wrap her heart like a wool sweater.


	7. Papa Loves Mambo

Good Enough Chapter 7: Papa Loves Mambo

Ok, so if there was a way to make this song play when you read the chapter I would. I could just really see this as a background song for this scene. I suppose you all can pretend. I'll put the lyrics for you. Picture this chapter as a dance that the two do with each other, without actually dancing…if that makes any sense. ;-)

Papa Loves Mambo by Perry Como

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

Look at him sway with it

Getting so gay with it

Shoutin ole' with it wow

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

Papa does great with it

Swings like a gate with it

He loses weight with it now

He goes to

She goes fro

He goes fast

She goes slow

He goes left

And she goes right

Papas lookin for mama but mama is nowhere in sight

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

Having their fling again

Younger than spring again

Feelin that zing again wow

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

Don't play the rumba

And don't play the samba

Cuz papa loves mambo tonight

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

He goes to

She goes fro

He goes fast

She goes slow

He goes left

And she goes right

Papas lookin for mama but mama is nowhere in sight

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

Having their fling again

Younger than spring again

Feelin that zing again wow

Papa loves mambo

Mama loves mambo

Don't play the rumba

And don't play the samba

Cuz papa loves the mambo tonight

Cameron turned yesterday's events over and over again in her mind. He considered them equals. That was what she deduced from the fact that she was now upgraded to his private office collection instead of just generic lobby art. That was mind boggling in itself, but also more incredible after adding in the fact that he turned down _Stacey:_ Love of his life, the proverbial eternal flame, and he told her he didn't want her. That jealousy monster she felt before laughed evilly in the face of this new development. It was not what she had expected at all. And the fact that he had wanted her to stay to see it was also unbelievable. But she hadn't dreamt it; Wilson had confirmed that when he dropped by her office at the end of the day to apologize. She had felt important to House in those few moments. Of course, there was nothing they had to talk about and she had dropped him off at his floor before taking the elevator back down to the ER. But it had been gratifying to know that he wanted her to see him let that part of his past go. Why he wanted her to know, she hadn't figured out yet. She didn't want to hope that maybe this way his way of showing her that he cared for her. It was far too soon for her to jump to that conclusion. Too many years of reading the mixed messages he sent out had taught her at least that.

She sat in her office staring at two cups of iced coffee again.

She had this itch to see him, and the second cup seemed like a good excuse as any. With a little spring in her step and a small smile she grabbed them and made for the diagnostics department.

Up in said department, Gregory House was throwing his ball back and forth, staring at the wall. He was trying not to analyze his own actions from the day before. He didn't want to delve into his psyche to find out just why he had wanted Cameron to see him turn down Stacey. It couldn't be because he didn't want her to think he had any interest in Stacey at all. It couldn't be because he wanted her to know that he saw her as an equal now. That he might even like her. He remembered clearly when he had told her that he didn't like her and the crestfallen look on her face. He definitely liked her smiles better. Those had to keep happening. It was even better when he caused the smile. That made that warm feeling start that made him feel almost safe. Wilson of course tried to be very abrupt and nosy about it, but he shut that down completely on the basis that he no longer had privilege to meddle; at least for the next twenty four hours. He knew Wilson too well and understood the conversation would come eventually and he would pry into what was going on between him and Cameron. It at least gave him some time to figure it out for himself first. When the new case came in, he delegated tasks to the team before sending them off and retreating back into his office to think again. He smiled at the memory of the look on her face when he had called her his superior lobby art and that she was upgraded to his private office collection. He needed an excuse to go see her. He was suddenly almost itching to see her smile for him. He saw the pile of mail next to his desk and grinned. He would simply have to go down there and remind her of her duties she had been neglecting. His charting and mail wouldn't do itself!

He placed his ball back on his desk before working his way out and down the hall to the elevator.

Cameron came up the stairs and down the hall to his office.

She rushed in with excitement, only to feel deflated that he wasn't there.

Just then, Taub came in the room.

"Hey Cameron."

"Hey Taub, where's House?"

He shrugged,

"Dunno…he was here a few minutes ago. Maybe he'll be right back."

"Yeah, I guess I'll wait for a minute or two."

She sat the coffees on his desk and began to sift through the mail.

Down in the ER, House was deflated as well. She wasn't in her office or anywhere on the ER floor. One of her nurses suggested checking the clinic to see if she was doing her clinic hours. He quickly went back to the elevator to get to the clinic.

Cameron put down the letter she was reading in growing impatience. She got up and looked down the hallway, seeing him nowhere.

"Hey Taub, if you see him tell him I was looking for him ok?"

"No problem. Hey, check coma guy's room. Maybe he's hiding out from Cuddy."

"Right. Ok thanks."

"No Dr. House she hasn't been here yet today."

"Ok, I'll just be going then."

"Oh no you don't. You owe me clinic hours. Get to work." Screeched Cuddy.

"But I'm looking for..."

"This patient file. Ms. Crabtree! Room 3 with Dr. House here."

He rolled his eyes and waltzed into Room 3 with the patient.

Cameron poked her head into Coma Guy's room and saw no trace of House.

Maybe he was hiding out in one of the clinic exam rooms.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive. They say take one pill for a reason. Tell you husband to follow the instructions and things won't come up like that in the future. And next time, make him come do his own dirty work."

She nodded, he cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

After she walked out, House peeked around the corner to see if Cuddy was around. When he didn't see her he made a beeline out of the clinic and into the next elevator that opened up.

Just as his elevator left, Cameron's elevator opened up and she walked into the clinic.

"Is Dr. House hiding in one of these exam rooms by chance?"

"Actually Dr. Cameron you just missed him. He was looking for you too."

"Really? Ok, did he say where he was going?"

"No, just made a dash for the elevators."

"Got it. Ok then thank you."

"Hey, Cameron was here looking for you." Taub said.

He smiled inwardly.

"She was huh? Oh and she left presents!" he said while picking up the iced coffee.

"Yeah. I didn't know where you were so I told her to check coma guy's room."

"You know me so well." He said with a smirk before strolling out to the elevators again.

As soon as the doors opened he walked directly into an equally hurried body holding an iced coffee.

The impact soon had their coffees each covering the front of the other's shirt.

They stood there a moment frozen before busting out in a fit of laughter.

"I've been looking all over for you." She spoke between giggles and trying to wipe at the coffee dripping down her pink scrubs.

House was shaking the coffee from his arms.

"Ditto."

She gifted him with one of those smiles and he felt himself giving one back.

They walked together back to his office.

"Did you need something?" she asked innocently.

"Did you?" he countered.

"Nope, just wanted to give you your coffee and wish you a nice day."

"I was going to tell you to get up here and finish your office art duties, but I see you already did most of that while I was away looking for you."

"Yes well I wanted to give you your coffee, not have you wear it."

"So much for the nice day."

She pretended to pout.

"Hey, it was the thought that counted."

He rolled his eyes.

"Yes dear. Thank you for the thought." He said sarcastically and gesturing at his stained shirt, while inside he was secretly glad she was thinking of him.

"Well then, I'll leave you in peace for the rest of your day."

She turned to walk away but he stopped her.

"Wanna have lunch?"

She smiled before turning back to look at him.

"You place or mine?"

He gasped in fake shock.

"Cameron, I'm surprised at you. And you haven't even bought me flowers yet. I didn't think you were a skip to sex kind of girl, but if you are offering…"

"My office or yours?" she stated after rolling her eyes.

"Oh yours I suppose. You know what I want, cold, and no pickles."

"Yes dear" she said mocking him before leaving for the ER.


End file.
